Marveling at a wildly successful Causeway Challenge 2026

A week ago in this space, when looking ahead to the upcoming Causeway Challenge event getting underway in Bangkok, Thailand, I wrote that Causeway is what every Scrabble tournament should aspire to be. Between the amazing field, the prize pool, the host city and venue, and the great people running the show, led by organizer extraordinaire Michael Tang, it was clear that this event was the gold standard. Pretty much every other Scrabble tournament on Earth is a cheap Causeway imitation, at best.

That was a week ago. Now, after following along with all 36 rounds and taking a moment to reflect on everything, I can come back today with a revised statement: This event exceeded even my wildest expectations.

Even when you're watching from halfway around the world, it's clear from the live coverage alone just how impressive this event is. You look out at that field, and you see a veritable ocean of Scrabble players from all over the world, all converging upon Thailand for an epic long weekend of Scrabble. You can feel the energy and the excitement that's palpable in that playing room. You see division after division after division, hundreds of Scrabble players in total, all coming together to celebrate their passion for the game and, ultimately, to compete. It's quite something to behold.

The live coverage was pretty amazing. There were streamed games happening at all of the top 3 boards throughout the tournament, meaning we were treated to an absolutely absurd 108 games of video content in all. There were stats, standings, social media updates, annotated game analyses, the whole deal. Whatever form of Scrabble tournament coverage you wanted, it was all at your fingertips, and it was all of the highest quality.

This is the kind of treatment that our great game deserves. And if we're going to grow the game, it's what we sorely need more of. If you look at any elite sporting event that features the world's best - your World Cups, your Super Bowls, and whatnot - these events are great not just because of the top-notch competition, but because the media coverage surrounding that competition really sells it. The play itself is great, but the spectacle is even greater. It's all about showcasing your game for the world to see.

And after this week, it's clearer than ever - there's nobody out there that showcases Scrabble quite like Michael. When he puts together an event, you're guaranteed to get the total package - there's a great player experience at the tournament itself, and perhaps an even greater viewing experience for the audience worldwide. This tournament, like every "Alchemist" production, had it all.

So, I'll say it again, because it bears repeating: This is what every Scrabble tournament should aspire to be. For all the rest of us around the world, the next step is to start aspiring. For each of us to do the best we can to emulate what Michael has consistently done so, so well. If even just a few of us can come even remotely close, the Scrabble world will be immensely better for it.